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September 24 Announcements

Events at Bethany this Week…
(Bethany Events in bold/Non-Bethany Events in Italics)

SUN 9/27	MON 9/28	TUES 9/29	WED 9/30	THU 10/1	FRI 10/2	SAT 10/3
8am AA	8am AA	8am AA	8am AA	8am AA	8am AA	8am AA
10am Sunday Worship & -Continuing- Adult Forum: The Faith Tradition of Islam		10am Rachel Circle Quilting	12:30 Stephens House in Fellowship Hall
				3pm BI Youth Orchestra	Noon Al-Anon AFG Meeting
	7:15pm Scout Troop 1565 Meeting	5:30pm Amabile Rehearsal	7pm Bethany Choir Rehearsal

A Life Well-Lived

(A letter to the Editor of the Bainbridge Review.)

Ed Kushner passed away Sept. 6 at home, surrounded by his loving family. Ed dedicated his life to family – Karen, his spouse of 58 years, his children Siri and Peter,
and his grandchildren Miguel, Elsie, Greta, Elena, and Frankie – and to the community he loved.

Ed requested no obituary. If you know Ed, you’ll understand. He would not take sole (or any) credit for gains made in affordable housing on Bainbridge Island over nearly four decades.
He saw the need: housing costs exclude people from this community at our great loss. He gathered and joined others to do something about it.
He helped found Housing Resources Bainbridge 37 years ago.

When something big weighed on Ed’s mind, he’d give it some thought, then say, ‘I know what we have to do’.That was his moral compass pointing the way.
He was driven by values of honesty, dignity, and inclusivity. He exemplified the value of hard work and was a craftsman of the art of building community to strengthen a cause.
He saw accomplishment as opportunity to redouble the effort. He saw collaboration as the strongest way forward.

The “Ed’s Housing Community Fund” has been established at both Housing Resources Bainbridge and the Bainbridge Community
Foundation to foster this spirit of community collaborative action and continue the work for affordable housing on Bainbridge.

Thank you.

Karen, Siri and Peter Kushner, and neighbors of nearly 50 years, Val, Mary Ann, Jenny and Kristin Tollefson.

Adult Education - After Service Sunday

Rachel Circle Needs Help Sunday

The Rachel Circle would like to request some help after the service Sunday. They need the boxes of items for the baby kits brought up from the basement so the kits can be put together on Tuesday, October 13th. Please see Marlene Orwiler if you can help. The quilts and kits will be blessed the next Sunday the 18th. The Rachel Circle thanks you for your help, both with moving boxes and donations for shipping. 

 Bethany Lutheran Preschool Has Openings!

Bethany Lutheran Preschool is currently accepting new students! If you or someone you know is looking for a warm, nurturing preschool community, we’d love to welcome you to Bethany. For more information or to inquire about enrollment, please contact Julianne at   or visit our website

Bible Study is Back!

We begin again on October 7th and 8th. This year we start with - Beginnings: A Study of Genesis.
We are also offering two options to attend the study - Wednesday mornings a 9:10am and Thursday Evenings at 7:00pm.  

Genesis is the foundational book in understanding all of what follows afterwards in the Bible.
It touches the deep parts of our humanity: Creation (and how we are literally connected to it),
Covenant (God's unfailing promise to sometimes failing humans), and Family (with all the complexities of human relationships included).
No prior biblical knowledge is required - all are welcome!

 Finch Green - Bethany's Adult Education Forum October 4th

Mark your calendars and plan to attend!! Following worship on Sunday, October 4 there will be a special forum on moving forward on the Finch Green affordable housing project.  The presenter will be Tina Gilbert on behalf of Housing Resources Bainbridge (HRB). Come and listen to learn about next steps in the project and bring your questions!!

CROP Thank you!!

Thank you to all who donated to the Bainbridge/North Kitsap CROP Hunger Walk.  So far Bethany raised $1574 for hunger relief locally through Helpline House and North Kitsap Fishline, and globally through Church World Service. 
You can still donate online at:  https://events.crophungerwalk.org/chw/team/bethany-lutheran-3, or you can donate a check or cash on Sunday, Sept. 27, in the Fellowship Hall.  Chris Christensen will be happy to accept your donation.

BINK-IFC Meeting Oct 1st

Please note on your calendars that our next BINK-IFC meeting is Oct. 1^st at 6:30 at Cedars office:  284 Madrona Way #128,  Bainbridge Island, WA 98110.  
Our guest speaker in Oct. is Kristen LaCroix, coming to share news about a newly formed OLD Friends Club through Island Volunteer Caregivers. They hope to begin once each week by mid-Nov. - to give a gathering space to those suffering with Dementia. Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church has offered a location. They are hoping to get word out to all our churches. The goal is to grow to twice each week within 3 months of starting so they can offer gathering space and emotional support to the care-givers as well.  Each congregation may have folks in need of Old Friends Club… Please join us to let her know what your need is.

Donations for Helpline Red Wagon!

Please bring your non-perishable food as well as cleaning and personal care products. Most recently They are asking for soups, stews & chili.

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Want to Join the Bethany Community? If you would like information about Bethany Lutheran, please talk to Pastor Martin or contact the office during the week. Kelsey, our office administrator’s contact information is below.

This Sunday’s Worship Assistants: 
Assisting Minister: Doug Dudgeon
Altar Duty: Nancy Wetzler / Gail Christensen
Greeter: Megan Kennedy & Jonathan Tiller; Ushers: Eve & Mike Curtis; Lay Reader: Gail Christensen;
Communion Assistants: Alice McCain & Vicki Browning; Hospitality Hosts: Becci Kerstetter & Barbara Deines

Next Sunday’s Worship Assistants:
Assisting Minister: (Open)
Altar Duty: Kathy Dudgeon
Greeter: Joe Sommerseth; Ushers: Barbara & David Swartling; Lay Reader: Barbara Swartling;
Communion Assistants: Megan Kennedy & Jonathan Tiller; Hospitality Hosts: Kathy & Doug Dudgeon

Please have announcement additions to Kelsey by Wednesday at noon to allow time for printing. Announcements, Prayer Chain requests, and questions can be sent to Kelsey, Bethany’s Office Administrator: Email